Trevor Linden is used to being at the focal point of rock-star receptions.
He got one Wednesday morning from a crowd of about 300 enthusiastic hockey fans at the CN Centre atrium when he announced the Vancouver Canucks have chosen Prince George as the site of their main training camp this September.
Decked out in Canucks jerseys and holding team memorabilia for Linden to sign, the crowd used its vocal chords to let Linden know the Canucks will be welcomed with open arms when they come to CN Centre for the three-day camp, Sept. 18-20.
"I remember saying to the guys at camp in Whistler last year I wanted to go to Prince George for training camp next year and they kind of looked at me like, 'why do you want to go there?' and the reason I wanted to come is exactly what you saw here today," said Linden, now entering his second season as Canucks president.
"People are so good up here, so kind and friendly, and I wanted our players to experience that. I want our players to see the type of passion the north has and I hope people from all around the region will come in for a day or two. We hope to create a type of fanfest atmosphere around CN Centre."
The Canucks, Prince George Cougars and city staff have been working together for months to plan the logistics of the camp.
Dan Hamhuis plays defence for the Canucks and Linden is good friends with Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Eric Brewer and despite the role of both NHL players as minority owners of the Cougars franchise, Linden said that had no influence in the decision to pick Prince George.
"The fact they bought into the Cougars really had nothing to do with it," said Linden.
"We've never been here and I wanted to come here. There's no reason we shouldn't come here because they have an amazing facility and it's perfect for what we want to do."
The decision to refurbish Kin 1 arena as the major infrastructural improvement for the Canada Winter Games is paying dividends.
The Canucks will be using the Olympic-sized ice at Kin 1, as well as CN Centre during their camp.
"This just shows Prince George is evolving into a major centre - we've got this great facility now and this is a great use for it," said Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris.
"The Canucks training camp is going to be a drawing card for people from all across the northern half of the province."
Tickets will be required to attend the on-ice training camp sessions to guarantee out-of-towners won't be disappointed if the Canucks attract standing-room-only crowds, and the team will donate proceeds back to one of the city's not-for-profit organizations. Linden said ticket prices will be affordable.
There's no disputing the Cougars' ties to the Canucks have blossomed under majority owner Greg Pocock, who used the Hamhuis connection last season to give the Cougar players unprecedented access to the team and its dressing room before a game at Rogers Arena during a December road trip. The Cougars have used the Canucks as a model to adopt a professional approach to running the WHL team and Pocock says having the camp in the city will only enhance the abilities of his operational staff.
"There's already a relationship with the Vancouver Canucks and what it does for our group is it brings access for our players and our staff and people we're trying to develop to a higher level and brings us on a par with teams like the Calgary Hitmen or Edmonton Oil Kings that reside in NHL buildings and have day-to-day access to rub shoulders with those guys," said Pocock.
"I think Trevor's relationship with Dan and Eric was really quite paramount to opening the eyes down there and making this thing happen and we're so excited and proud it's coming to Prince George. I think the (public) access to the players is unprecedented at a training camp. It's a lot looser environment than a structured hockey game."
Prince George has never hosted an NHL preseason game and Cougars business manager Andy Beesley said that could be a possibility in future years.
"An exhibition game would be fantastic for this community but it's a two-and-a-half-hour event, this is a multi-day event and there will be a lot of time for people to come and participate," said Beesley. "For hockey and entertainment and even for our community's self esteem, the training camp is the best possible thing we could have asked for.
"There's tremendous Canucks support out there in the outlying regions so we think the hotel rooms and restaurants will be jam-packed. For people this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We expect the arena to be full every single day."
Coming on the heels of the 2015 Canada Winter Games and the city's 100th birthday celebrations, news of the Canucks' decision to base their main camp in Prince George for the first time in the team's 46-year history created a shockwave of excitement among fans and local businesses which stand to benefit when the Canucks are here.
Mayor Lyn Hall was in Victoria a few months ago when Linden confirmed the Canucks were coming but was sworn to secrecy.
Hall's immediate reaction after he got off the phone was to high-five a couple of people standing next to him he didn't know.
"This is a big deal, we're talking 50 or 60 players, staff, coaches training folks - this is their entire operation coming to Prince George," said Hall.
"I think this ranks right up there with the Canada Games, having a professional team like the Vancouver Canucks show up here for training camp."
The Canucks will be in the city for four days and Hall said that will almost certainly provide an economic boon to city hotels, restaurants and store owners.
"It's going to provide people from the Central Interior and the northern part of the province a reason to visit Prince George during the training camp," said Hall.
"It's held over a weekend so traveling will be a bit easier, the weather will be good. It's a big thing for Prince George and it carries on the momentum we had during the Games. It's our turn and the Games really lit a fire under this community. We can hold large events like this - there's a pride that's welling over in this community and we just need to build on it."
Downtown Prince George executive direcotr Carla Johnston, whose group represents downtown businesses, said the organization will renew efforts to market its Love Downtown strategy to try to capitalize on the Canucks' weekend visit and the fan interest it will attract.
The fact some of those players are multi-millionaires certainly doesn't hurt.
"It's a real opportunity, there will certainly be a group of people coming to town with some disposable income and we can certainly help with that," said Johnston.
"The chains and big boxes are the same from city to city but we have over 50 locally-owned and independently-operated businesses in the downtown, all of which are unique to Prince George. As many people in professional sports do when they're living away from home, they're looking for a place to connect with people and small businesses are a popular way to do that. They will befriend restaurant owners, shop owners and clothing store owners while they're here and we'll certainly want to help make those introductions."
